


Stirring Up a Latte Trouble

by ydysprosium



Category: Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Coffee Shops, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, POV Slade Wilson, Unreliable Narrator, slade robin week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27329896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ydysprosium/pseuds/ydysprosium
Summary: In which everyone except Slade is under the delusion that this is a cliched fluffy coffee shop romance.SladeRobin week 2020Day 8: Free Day (Coffee Shop AU)
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 79
Collections: SladeRobin Week 2020





	Stirring Up a Latte Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel of sorts to The Customer is Always Right, but you don't have to read that one.

When he considered his situation with charitable thoughts, Slade recognized that the other baristas were very accommodating. Friendly even. But maybe it was the novelty of the situation. There weren’t many older musclebound men who worked here (he was the only one, actually). And maybe it was the eyepatch. He occasionally overheard his coworkers calling him ‘Pirate Captain Slade Wilson’ when they thought he was out of earshot. Slade was fully aware things could have been far worse, that the other baristas could have made his life a living hell while he bided his time making enough to get by and waiting for the next contract to come through. But instead they’d been kind. Tiffany had shown him how to use the coffee grinder again when he’d forgotten. Dan had politely corrected him when Slade had mixed up the different types of creamers. And Jennifer had patiently explained the difference between Arabica and Robusta beans.

All in all, it wasn’t a terrible job, and once in a while, Slade admitted to himself that there were moments that were actually enjoyable. Aside from a few bratty entitled customers.

Slade leaned over the counter, checking messages on his phone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a customer enter. A likely annoying customer who unfortunately was all too familiar with Slade’s other job.

“Fuck my life,” Slade mumbled under his breath as he saw Dick Grayson heading for the counter, stupid grin on his face. Of all the terrible luck. He pushed away from the countertop and stood, walking briskly back towards the break room. Was it cowardly? Yes. Did Slade care? He did not. “I’m going to take my fifteen-minute break now,” he said as he passed Tiffany.

“Okay, sure,” she said, then glanced over at the register where Dick was approaching. “Why don’t you get the next customer before your break, Slade?” Tiffany chirped at him. “He’s super nice and always leaves generous tips.”

Slade felt his face heating up. “I uh, know him, from a previous job,” he admitted.

“Ohhhh,” Tiffany said, eyes widening as she came to absolutely the wrong conclusion. “Aww, don’t be shy, go make him a coffee,” she said, giving Slade a punch in the arm so light that it almost didn’t register.

“Absolutely not,” Slade said. “I’m taking my break and you misunderstand the situation.”

Tiffany’s smile turned evil. “If I have to take his order, I’ll add in a batch of those heart-shaped cookies and say they’re from you.”

Slade sputtered, shocked that his coworker was so adept at blackmail. Maybe he’d hire her as a consultant when he got back into mercenary work.

“And,” Tiffany continued, not anywhere near done being evil, “I’ll ask him if he knows any embarrassing stories about you. And I’ll tell him how embarrassed you get when someone sees you feeding the cats out back, even though we all do. And I’ll tell him how one of the cats is already attached to you-”

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Slade grit out. He didn’t have to enjoy it, and maybe he could spit in Grayson’s drink or something if the man gloated the whole time.

“Good luck,” Tiffany said, all smiles and sunshine again once she’d gotten her way. Then she turned to her phone, probably texting the latest gossip to Jennifer and Dan.

Slade stomped over to the register, folded his arms, and did his best to loom imposingly. “Yes?” he practically snarled. 

Grayson gave his best winning smile. “Hi, I’d like an extra-large strawberry flavored mocha latte, with extra whipped cream please.” He paused to glance at some of the pastries under the glass display counter. “Oh, and can you add in three brownies too? Thanks. Oh, and my name’s Dick if you need to write it on the cup.” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and Slade had to hold himself back from the urge to jump over the counter and strangle him. Only because it would be a pain to have to find a new job.

“Right,” Slade said, trying to sound bored. “It’ll take a few minutes.”

“Oh, no rush, take your time,” Dick said, paying, and then shoving a wad of twenties into the tip jar.

And maybe Dick was trying to be nice, but Slade couldn’t help but feel that Dick was mocking him for his money issues. He glared after him, watching as Dick leisurely sat at one of the tables near the window and took out his phone.

Then Slade set about making the worst coffee in the history of coffee making. Or at least, he would have, if Tiffany hadn’t been watching and zeroing in when Slade dumped a spoonful of used coffee grounds directly into a cup.

“Slade,” she hissed, staying dramatically out of sight like they were in a cheap daytime telenovela. “You can’t put used coffee grounds in his cup, it’ll taste terrible. Are you nervous and you forgot? I’ll help you.”

Well that ruined Slade’s plan of using rancid milk (though he doubted Grayson would even notice, Slade had seen how the kid lived), and using salt instead of flavored syrup was probably out too. A shame, it would’ve been fun to watch his reaction.

But Tiffany was watching, so Slade made the drink mostly correctly, though he skimped on the strawberry flavoring, and gobbed the whipped cream on crookedly. Apparently, he did well enough, because Tiffany beamed at him. However, she wasn’t done being evil, and added heart-shaped sprinkles on top of the whipped cream.

“He didn’t order-“ Slade tried to protest.

“Don’t worry about it,” Tiffany whispered, shoving a plate of three brownies into Slade’s hand. “Here, go bring his order to his table. Or I will.”

Slade grumbled to himself but carried the plate and drink over to the table where Grayson was sitting, playing on his phone. Slade would have preferred to have given Dick the three smallest, saddest brownies out of the batch, but of course Tiffany had picked out the biggest, and added extra frosting. He slammed the drink and food down onto Grayson’s table, sloshing around and not quite spilling. “Here, your shit is ready,” Slade said, then he stomped back towards the register as Tiffany made frantic hand gestures at him.

“Slade, go take your break with your man,” she said. “I’ll handle the register for a while.”

“You are wrong,” Slade said. “He is not my-”

“Not yet, huh?” Tiffany said. “Well I’m sure that’ll change soon. Go talk with him.”

Slade attempted to stare her down. It was no use. If he refused, she would surely talk with Grayson and make the situation worse. “Fine,” he grumbled, grabbing himself a small cup of black coffee. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to catch up on gossip in the hero community.

\--

Slade pulled out the chair across from Dick and heavily sat down in it.

Dick raised an eyebrow. “You’re sitting with me?” he asked. “Oh, by the way, I very much approve of this job. It’s definitely an improvement over your previous occupation.” 

Slade grunted, wondering if he should be offended, but Grayson looked like he was sincere, not mocking. “Thanks to you I haven’t been able to get a contract recently.”

“Sorry, not sorry,” Dick said giving a small, almost apologetic grin. “But really, I think this job suits you well.” He took another sip of his drink. “It’s really good too, I didn’t know you had such a sweet side.”

Slade folded his arms and scowled. He was not amused by the pun. “Did you come here just to mock me?” he growled.

“No, I’m not making fun of you,” Dick insisted. “I really think it’s great that you’re working here.” He paused and gave Tiffany a small wave, who promptly giggled and slunk back behind the register to continue subtly spying on them. “And your coworkers seem really nice and friendly.”

“I’m not reforming, if that’s what you think,” Slade grumbled. “This is temporary. And I’m only talking with you because my coworker seems to be under the delusion that we have a cliched coffee shop romance. And she threatened to talk to you instead.”

“Aww, making friends here already Slade, I knew you could be popular if you tried,” Dick teased. “What was she going to tell me? That although you look scary, you really have a heart of gold?”

Slade let out a small laugh. “We both know that’s not true.”

“Maybe not,” Dick agreed, finishing one of his brownies. “But maybe you’re nicer than you realize. You’re working here, not robbing a bank, aren’t you? And you made friends with your co-workers. There’s hope for you yet.”

Slade made a scoffing noise. Like his coworkers, Grayson was far too optimistic and trusting. “One job doesn’t change anything.”

Dick leaned back in his chair and smirked, as if he’d won the argument, which clearly, he had not. “I guess we’ll find out later, won’t we?”

“Guess so,” Slade grunted. Whatever Dick wanted to think of Slade that was ultimately his problem, not Slade’s. Who cared if he was hurt and disappointed the next time Slade took a murderous contract? Certainly not Slade.

“Oh, and, we shouldn’t disappoint your coworker, should we?” Dick asked with a mischievous grin. And before Slade could ask him what he meant, Dick was leaning over, closing the distance and pressing his lips to Slade’s.

Then he was standing up. “Well, it’s been fun catching up, but I should be on my way,” Dick said. “Call me sometime, you know my number.” Then with an outrageous wink he was gone.

Slade sunk back into his chair for a few moments, shocked. That had been all for show, hadn’t it? But with Dick he could never be entirely certain.


End file.
